VANCOUVER — Cory Schneider gets focused for a Jan. 31 start at Rogers Arena. The Canucks goaltender has played well in Minnesota and Dallas and could get those starts on a four-game road trip. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHL via Getty Images).

Three things to ponder after the Canucks eked out a 4-3 victory over Columbus on Saturday:

1. TWO FOR CORY, TWO FOR LUI: Alain Vigneault wouldn’t confirm it Saturday, so we’ll do it for the coach Sunday. If he’s that confident in both goaltenders and that aware of who plays well where, then a four-game road trip that opens Monday in Minnesota is pretty easy to map out. Give Schneider the nod against the Wild, start Roberto Luongo in Chicago on Wednesday, Schneider on Thursday in Dallas and Luongo on Saturday in Denver. Both get games that work psychologically and both get the right kind of playoff preparation.

As well as Schneider has played in Minnesota, it’s a hell hole for Luongo. He’s been pulled in four of his last five starts at the Xcel Energy Center and his record there is 3-9-2. with a 3.58 goals-against average and .873 saves percentage. In a classic Canucks no-show on Nov. 3, Schneider kept a blowout from hitting double digits with 40 saves in a 5-1 drubbing. He came back on Feb. 9 and made 22 saves in a 5-2 win at Minnesota. Schneider also posted a pair of 4-1 wins in Dallas last season with 25 and 44-save efforts.

Loungo has won in Chicago and Denver this season — a 38-save showing in a 6-2 rout of the Blackhawks on Nov. 6 and 44 saves in a 3-2 triumph against the Avalanche on Feb. 4 — so Vigneault can play the consistency and comfort cards on this trip.

2. PLAYOFF PAIRINGS?: You can understand Alain Vigneault looking for some chemistry for his top line in knowing that he might have second and third alignments that could be playoff ready. But what about the back end? Does he really properly prep for the postseason with the Alex Edler-Kevin Bieksa, Dan Hamhuis-Sami Salo, Aaron Rome-Chris Tanev pairings? The health of Keith Ballard will obviously factor into those alignments and the concussed blueliner is starting to skate on his own again, but what about the present?

There was utter confusion Saturday on the first Columbus goal in which Cam Atikinson blew by Edler and Bieksa did a breeze by as Vinny Prospal squeaked one between the pads of Cory Schneider. Bieksa and Edler were each minus-2 and as much as the Canucks contend anybody can play with anybody, it’s time to get the house in order back there. Get Hamhuis back with Bieksa, Edler with Salo and figure out how Rome, Tanev and Marc-Andre Gragnani are going to figure in the third mix until Ballard hopefully returns for the postseason. Now is not the time to experiment. Now is the time to get the game in total order.

3. A WING AND A PRAYER: At one point, it got so bad Saturday that it was suggested that Henrik and Daniel Sedin finally had it figured out because they used Mason Raymond as a decoy en route to combining for four points. Seems harsh, but Raymond is a mess. If Alain Vigneault thought the strange promotion to the first line was going to give the struggling winger confidence, it appears to have done the opposite.

Raymond has fallen down without being hit, has lost control with the puck in the slot and has gone so wide on his speedy forays that scoring from those wide angles seems virtually impossible. Pointless in eight games, the point of the experiment is lost on me. But what to do. I like the second and third lines and Zack Kassian might be too raw to be consistent enough with the Sedins. You could always put Alex Burrows back on the top line and put Raymond on the third line, but that might mess up both alignments.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

101 Greatest Canucks

The Province and its panel of experts have identified the 101 greatest Canucks of all time. See their choices!